Inspired by a deep commitment to the health of the Greater Cincinnati community, John and Carrie Hayden have made a $2 million gift to establish and endow a community learning kitchen that emphasizes the vital role of nutrition not only in the prevention but also the treatment of chronic disease.
The future John and Carrie Hayden Community Learning Kitchen will be a collaboration between the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center and the Osher Center for Integrative Health at the University of Cincinnati. The learning kitchen will open in early 2026 in the Blood Cancer Healing Center, adjacent to a mind-body-spirit wellness studio and rooftop healing garden.
John and Carrie Hayden, driven by their personal experiences, advocate for empowering individuals to become more active participants in their health. Carrie, a two-time cancer survivor, says diet and lifestyle were critical to her healing and believes that the Osher Center exists for the benefit of everyone in our Greater Cincinnati community.
"We respect the value and importance of conventional medicine," said the Haydens. "That said, we believe there is immense power in the combination of conventional medicine with the evidence-based complementary therapies of integrative medicine."
"The goal of the learning kitchen is to remove the mystery of adopting a more nutritious lifestyle by showing people how it can be done and allowing them to get their hands dirty in the process of experimenting with it."
The Haydens are long-time champions of the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center, establishing the Carrie K. Hayden Endowed Chair of Integrative Oncology Research at UC in 2019 and the Hayden Family Endowed Chair for Cancer Research in 2014.
The UC Foundation honored Carrie in 2018 with the Chairperson's Award for her work with the Cancer Center.
The Blood Cancer Healing Center, the nation's newest and most comprehensive cancer facility devoted to research and improved, whole-person care for blood cancer patients-all under one roof, opened in June 2024. The state-of-the-art facility addresses the critical needs of the 1.6 million individuals affected by blood cancers, such as leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, annually in the United States.
The Osher Center for Integrative Health's vision is to transform a health care system primarily focused on treating disease to one that also prioritizes prevention and self-care through integrative and lifestyle medicine, empowering people to take control of their own health and well-being. The Osher Center at UC is a member of the Osher Collaborative for Integrative Health, an elite group of 11 academic health centers from around the world funded by The Bernard Osher Foundation to study, teach and practice integrative health care.
"What the Haydens have done for the Osher Center, cancer care and this community is unparalleled," said Sian Cotton, PhD, director, Osher Center for Integrative Health at UC and Turner Farm Foundation Chair. "Carrie is a spectacular human being. She's a very smart businessperson who is all heart. And John, also incredible, has given so much of his time, talent and treasure by leading the center through its strategic planning process -they are simply extraordinary, and we are so grateful to both of them and their family."
The John and Carrie Hayden Community Learning Kitchen will emphasize the benefits of nutrition and healing, combining the science of cooking and culinary medicine and serving as a hands-on laboratory for clinical research studies and implementation science.
The community learning kitchen will be a place where:
- Patients, students and the community come together for hands-on culinary medicine classes to learn the key components and benefits of food as medicine.
- Dieticians and researchers can evaluate the impact of diet and nutrition patterns on metabolism, mental health, wellness and healing.
- Programming and outreach will focus on lifestyle medicine approaches to preventing and managing chronic conditions, particularly cancer, and opportunities for personalized health consultations.
- Caregivers and family members of patients from across the Cancer Center and UC Health can engage in hands-on nutrition education to best support specific types of cancer patients' needs, like loss of appetite, taste or swallowing difficulty.
"The learning kitchen is going to be transformational for our community," said Cotton. "It supports the Osher Center's principles that food, exercise, music and arts, stress reduction, mindfulness and nature are medicine."
Cory D. Shaw, president & chief executive officer, UC Health: "The support from the Hayden family promotes a comprehensive, evidence-based approach to health care. I am thankful for their role as ambassadors in helping our city strive to be one of the healthiest in the country."
Gregory C. Postel, MD, senior vice president for health affairs and Christian R. Holmes, Professor and Dean of the College of Medicine: "The Haydens' leadership and vision in supporting the Osher Center continue to greatly benefit our community. Their generosity advances a holistic approach to care by integrating nutrition and wellness into cancer treatment. The addition of the John and Carrie Hayden Community Learning Kitchen, alongside a new wellness studio, strengthens our commitment to comprehensive patient care and plays a vital role in our efforts to achieve National Cancer Institute designation."
Syed Ahmad, MD, University of Cincinnati Cancer Center interim director, professor in the Department of Surgery at the UC College of Medicine, Hayden Family Endowed Chair for Cancer Research: "The University of Cincinnati Cancer Center provides world-class care, and the addition of the John and Carrie Hayden Community Learning Kitchen further elevates our advanced center, affording optimal healing and support for both patients and caregivers."
John Byrd, MD, Gordon and Helen Hughes Taylor Professor and Chair of the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Cincinnati; and senior advisor at the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center: "The Haydens' philanthropic partnership has been essential to making our Blood Cancer Healing Center vision a reality-an all-in-one facility for care, research and wellness for not only patients with hematologic malignancies, but for our entire community.
Featured image at top: Rendering of the John and Carrie Hayden Community Learning Kitchen. Photo/Provided.
